Handmade Cement Tile
What does it take to make a space stand apart, with an appearance wholly unique to you while featuring a combined sense of artistry history? It takes ingenuity, plenty of hard work, and lots of imagination. It takes bold, resilient, vibrant and beautifully handcrafted cement tiles with roots in some of the world’s most venerated artistic styles that are flawlessly designed to bring any space to life.
Cementing a Place in History
The earliest recorded appearances of concrete tiles are around 711 in Moorish Spain. These tiles were created using a mixture of sand, ground clay and colourful pigments and featured ornate designs and intricate patterns. These were used to lavishly decorate places of worship and public buildings like bathhouses and courtyards of the rich and powerful.
In the late 19th century, cement tiles were again made popular in Southern France in the period between 1855-1875. Although in those days, they were popularly called encaustic cement tiles, they were similar in use and application as our modern-day cement tiles. Only a few decades later, cement tiles reemerged in Spain and had a heavy influence on the art and architecture of the Art Noveau movement.
The 20th century saw cement tiles become even more prevalent, as buildings, homes, public places and private enclaves used them all across Europe and the Middle east. In many respects, the art of cement tile-making likely had its foundations during that period, primarily because of financial constraints: It was too costly to create them the same way that clay bricks were built – through wood or coal fired kilns. Instead, the cement tile manufacturers of yore dried their creations in the heat of the sun, and then let them simmer under heavy weights.
Today, cement tiles are ubiquitous – you can’t escape them no matter where you go. They are seen in bathrooms and kitchens. They are used outside homes and inside offices. Floors and walls are built using cement tiles. And there’s no limit to the creativity of the designs and patterns in which cement tiles can be created.
Cement Tile, Practically-Speaking
Sure, cement tiles are much more dynamic and versatile in their use. But couldn’t you get the same versatility from other tiles, like ceramic or porcelain? Not entirely.
Cement tiles are more practical in the 21st century because of the environmental reality that we face today. Advancements in manufacturing technology have given us many newer tile materials, including those made from natural and man-made composite materials. But because cement tiles are manufactured using a non-fired process, it has a much smaller carbon footprint than other tiles. And that’s just one reason that cement is typically the preferred tile for most modern construction projects.
The ruggedness of cement gives it yet another quality – endurance – that makes cement tiles perfect for high-traffic applications, such as entryways and mudrooms. Glassy, shiny and artificially glazed porcelain tiles, just don’t work for these applications.
A Proud Tradition
Here at Riad Tile, we pride ourselves on our craftsmanship and dedication to providing our customers with only the highest-quality tile. Our cement tiles are lovingly handcrafted to high standards, and the men and women behind those tiles are some of the finest tilemakers in the business. They are artists and artisans with decades of experience.
There’s no “secret sauce” or “hidden recipe” used in our cement tiles. Like many similar tiles of their type, we use finely dehydrated ground Portland cement layer and a coarser layer of sand and cement as the base for our tiles, but this is where “common ground” ends. From there on, it is the creativity and ingenuity of our talented tile makers that takes over.
One tile at a time, these master artisans create and infuse vibrant life into each of their creations. Hand pressed and elegant, our tiles are created with careful attention to uniformity. Unlike ceramic or porcelain, which have discernible batch to batch variation, our cement tiles will seamlessly blend in – no matter which batch you use!
Cement tile is the perfect way to elevate your space, adding a sense of history, artistry, and tradition to your home or workplace. It’s what makes Riad and our artisans so proud of our offerings. If you want see our cement tile in person, please don’t hesitate to order a sample today!
So, if you want more information about our exquisite products, feel free to contact us. Our experts will be happy to exchange ideas with you on how you can make your dream space a reality with a variety of our handcrafted cement tiles!